Device for carrying caskets over the boxes.



PATENTED: AUG. 18, 1903.

R G. H. FULLER. DEVICE FOR CARRYING GASKETS OVER THE BOXES APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1903'.

N0 MODEL.

.ZITIZIZL E v I T I as WITNESSES m: mmmsprrsas c0. warmwno" WAENINGTQN, n c.

. To all whom it may concern.-

then lowered into the box.

Patented August1 8, 1903.

PATENT FFICE.

GRANVILLE H: FULLER, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR CARRYING GASKETS OVER THE BOXES.

sPEcIFIcATIoNrormin part of Letters Patent No. 736,377, dated August 18, 1903. Applioation filed January 26, 1903. $erial No. 140,576. (Nomodel-l Be it known that I, GRANVILLE H. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Device for Carrying a Casket over the Box, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a device for use by pall-bearers or undertakers assistants in carrying a casket over the box thatis to receive it at the grave. It is of course well understood that it is the usual custom at burials to place the box upon cross-pieces over the grave and that the pallbearers, carrying the casketby the handles, pass upon opposite sides of the grave and the box and deposit the casket upon cross-pieces resting upon the top of the box, after which the casket is raised by straps sufficiently to allow the cross-pieces to be removed and is This operation of carrying the casket along the side of the grave is frequently attended with serious inconvenience, owing to the fact that the pallbearers must traverse the entire length of the grave, walking over the excavated earth, the evergreens, and frequently over contiguous graves. I

The purpose of my present invention is to provide atra'veler that will traverse the length of the box and support and carry the foot of the casket as it is moved over the box, thus making it unnecessary for the pall-bearers to pass along the opposite sides of the grave.

I In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view showinga casket-box resting upon cross-pieces over a grave and illustrating the manner in which the casket is carried over the box, the

casket and the receiving position of the trav-.

eler being indicated by dotted lines and the traveler being shown in full lines in position at the foot of the box after the casket has been carried along the top of the box into position to be lowered into it; Fig. 2, an end elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the traveler, the box being shown in section; Fig. 3,

I an inverted plan View of the traveler; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the use of flanged rollers in lieu of both top and side rollers.

1O denotes a casket-box, which is shown as resting upon crosspieces 11 over an open grave. The casket (indicated by 12) is shown in dotted lines only. The body of the traveler is made in two parts, which I'llave indicated, respectively, by 13 and 14. These parts are made to overlap each other in any suitable manner and to telescope or slide inward and outward to adapt the traveler to receive all sizes of caskets. In the present instance I have shown part 14 as cut away at the top, leavinga forwardly-extending tongue 15, and part 13 as cut away upon the under side, leaving a forwardly-extending tongue 16, which overlaps tongue 15. The upper side of tongue 15 is provided with a longitudinal rib l7, and tongue 16 is provided with a groove 18 (see dotted lines, Figs. 2 and 4) to receive it. A bolt 19, having a countersunk head 20, (see dotted lines, Figs. 2 and 4,) passes downward through tongue 16 and through a longitudinal slot 21 in tongue 15.

A thumb-nut 22 on the bolt locks the parts together after they have been adjusted to the width of the box.

In order to hold the footof the casket against the possibility of lateral movement, I provide side clamps 23, which are made adjustable in and out in any suitable manner, as by means of bolts or thumb-screws 24, which pass through slots 25 in the side clamps, which are indicated by dotted lines only.

In order to insure that the traveler will move freely along the top of the box, I provide parts 13 and 14 of the body with rollers 26, preferably journaled in recesses 27, which travel along the top of thebox, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4.. These rollers may be provided with side flanges 28, as in Fig. 4, which lie on opposite sides of the top of the box, or, if preferred, side rollers may be used, as in Figs. 2 and 3.

29 denotes inside rollers carried by slides 30, which are made adjustable in any suitable manner, as by means of fixed bolts 31 in the'body, which pass through slots 32 in the slides and are engaged by thumb-nuts 33. I have also shown parts 13 and 14. as provided with outside rollers 34,.which may or may not be used, as preferred.

35 denotes strap-clamps at the outer ends of the parts of the body. It will of course be understood that the straps by which the casket is lowered into the box usually lie across gitudinally of the body, and the strap is looped and caught into the strap-holders at the ends, thus retaining the strap securely in place. When ready to lower the casket into the box, the operators take hold of the ends of the strap carried by the traveler and draw the loops out from the holders.

In use the traveler is adjusted to the box and placed near the head thereof at approximately the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The pall-bearers' carrying the foot of the casket advance to the head of the box and place the foot of the casket upon the traveler. It is not, however, necessary for the pall-bearers to advance close by the grave,

gas the bearers carrying the head of the easket or an undertakers assistant will push the traveler carrying the foot of the casket along the top of the box, the head of the easket being of course supported by bearers or assistants until the head of the casket is in position over the head of the box arid ready to be lowered into it. A cross-piece, as 36, may then be placed under the head of the casket until it is to be lowered into the box. I preferably provide strap-clamps 37 at opposite'ends of cross-piece 36, which hold the lowering-strap for the head of the casket in the same manner that the lowering-strap for the foot of the casket is held by the traveler. In

lowering the casket into the box the pall-bearers or assistants draw out the straps from the clamps, lift the casket slightly to permit the removal of the traveler and cross-piece, and then lower the casket into the box in the usual way.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A device of the character described comprising a two-part traveler, means for locking said parts together after adjustment, and rollers near the outer ends of the traveler which are adapted to travel along the top of the sides of a box.

2. A device of the character described consisting of a traveler comprising two parts ad-.

justable relatively to each other, means for locking said parts together after adjustment, rollers near the outer ends of the parts adapted to travel along the top of the sides of a box, rollers adapted to engage the inner side of the box, slides by which the latter rollers are carried and means for locking the slides in place after adjustment.

3. A device of the character described consisting of two parts having tongues provided with a rib and groove connection, a bolt fixed in one of said tongues and passing through a slot in the other tongue, a thumb-nut on the bolt for locking the parts in position after adjustment, and rollers near the outer ends of the parts which are adapted to travel along the top of the sides of a box.

4. A device of the character described comprising a two-part traveler, means for locking said parts together after adjustment, rollers near the outer ends of the parts which are adapted to travel along the top of the sides of a box, and adjustable side clamps near the outer end of the parts for holding a casket against lateral movement.

5. A device of the character described comprising a two-part traveler, means for locking said parts together after adjustment, rollers near the outer ends of the parts which are adapted to travel along the top of the sides of a box, and strap-clamps at the ends of the parts for retaining a lowering-strap until used.

In testimony whereof I affixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

GRANVILLE H. FULLER.

Witnesses:

D. E. ROGERS, JOHN R. BOOTH. 

